Vehicle owners with demanding, active lifestyles require additional vehicle storage compartments used to transport a multitude of various items including, for example, athletic attire, after work clothing including shoes, and personal items and cosmetics to name a few. Many different storage systems have been suggested to transport such goods and prevent them from sliding around in the vehicle during transport. However, there continues to exist a need for a portable, rear compartment storage system for vehicles that is innovative, low cost, and applicable to a broad spectrum of vehicle platforms.
Motor vehicle manufacturers offer many different types of devices in which to store items. A first known type of storage device is permanently installed in the vehicle and provides storage for items while the items are in the vehicle. An example of this first type of storage device is a console located between the front seats of a vehicle. A second known type of storage device exists that may be removed from the vehicle and is commonly attached to the exterior of the vehicle on either the roof or to a trailer hitch. One example of the second type of storage device is a roof mounted carrier.
Both of these known styles of storage devices have proven to be satisfactory for their intended purposes of storing goods in the vehicle. However, these devices are not particularly well suited to moving goods away from the vehicle. The first type may not be removed from the vehicle at all and the second is generally large or cumbersome. Thus, goods must generally be individually removed from them in order to remove the goods from the vehicle. It is, therefore, desirable to provide a storage unit in which goods may be stored while in the vehicle and in which the goods may remain when moved from the vehicle. In order to address situations where this is desirable, various designs have been proposed.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,890 discloses a vehicular storage compartment that mounts in the opening of a vehicle floor. The storage compartment is generally tub-shaped and has a closure panel across the top. When mounted in a recess within a vehicle floor, the closure panel acts as a load floor in concert with the vehicle floor. The tub-shaped compartment is removable and may store items exclusive of a vehicle; however, the use thereof is limited to that of conventional storage tubs, which are bulky and awkward to use for portable storage.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,289 discloses a luggage rack adapted to attach to the inside ceiling of vehicle trunk. The luggage rack retains a storage module also referred to as a piece of luggage. The storage module is generally rectangular and may store items either within the vehicle or exclusive of the vehicle. The storage module's use, however, is limited to that of conventional storage tubs, which are awkward to use for portable storage exclusive of the vehicle. Additionally, the storage module is retained in the trunk of a vehicle, which makes items stored therein less accessible to an occupant than items stored in a storage unit within the cab of a vehicle. In order to generally provide easy removal and portable transport of vehicular storage units and items stored therein, and to improve access to items stored within a vehicular storage unit by vehicle occupants, various removable vehicular storage units have been developed.
In order to generally provide easy removal and portable transport of vehicular storage units and items stored therein, and to improve access to items stored within a vehicular storage unit by vehicle occupants, various removable vehicular storage units have been developed.
It is an object of the invention to produce a storage system for use in a vehicle which can be selectively removed from the vehicle.
Another object of the invention is to produce a storage system for use in a vehicle which includes a soft pack outer covering and having at least one interior modular storage unit.
Still another object of the invention is to produce a soft pack modular storage system for a vehicle that is selectively and accessibly retained within the trunk space of the vehicle and can be removed and used as a portable storage system remote of the vehicle.